(AP) A manhunt across Florida ended Thursday with the surrender of a driver blamed in a deadly crash at a day care that injured 14 and killed a 4-year-old girl who was sitting in a classroom awaiting her afternoon snack. Robert Alex Corchado turned himself in and was charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident almost precisely 24 hours after the KinderCare facility in Winter Park was torn open in the wreck. He was being held on $100,000 bond, said the Orange County Corrections Department. His attorney confirmed his client turned himself in but refused further comment. “He had nowhere to go,” said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Wanda Diaz. Police say Corchado, 28, of Winter Park, crashed his Dodge Durango into a convertible, which in turn smashed into the KinderCare building. Authorities pleaded for the suspect to give up, even as they blanketed the state searching for him. Nicole Quintus, whose daughter, Lily, was killed, joined the pleas. “Families are emotionally destroyed because of what he did,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. The mother softly sobbed as she spoke of her daughter. She said Lily loved princesses, “Star Wars,” the TV series “Doctor Who” and ranch dressing on seemingly everything she ate even pizza and hot dogs. Please see the full article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/10/florida-day-care-car-crash_n_5128698.html

Credit: Reuters/Orange County Jail/Handout U.S. ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – A Florida man suspected of involvement in a hit-and-run car crash that killed a 4-year-old girl and injured 14 people at an Orlando-area day care center surrendered to authorities on Thursday, police said. Robert Corchado, 28, turned himself in at the Orange County Jail, said Cindy Williams, a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol. Police launched a manhunt for Corchado after the crash on Wednesday. He is charged in an arrest warrant with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and seriously bodily injury, a felony. The warrant sets his initial bond at $100,000. Williams said Corchado was considered a fugitive and could face further charges. Corchado is believed to be the driver of a Dodge Durango SUV that triggered the crash by rear-ending another car as it slowed to turn into the day care entrance near Orlando. The second car, a Toyota Solara, jumped the curb before going through the parking lot and into the front of the KinderCare day care center, striking several children and stopping at the back of the building. Williams identified the 4-year-old girl who died as Lily Quintus of Orlando. The driver of the Durango fled the scene and was later found parked at a home. Please see the full article at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/10/us-usa-florida-crash-idUSBREA3821020140410

Day care crash suspect Robert Corchado linked to another hit-and-run

The hood of the car had a light-pole sized dent in the front of the hood. The car caught fire after the crash and police pulled a number of the occupants out. At least one had to be cut out by firefighters, who removed a door that ended up leaning against a currency exchange. The chase started when officers in the 2500 block of West Division Street saw someone shooting from a white PT Cruiser and tried to stop it about 9:50 p.m., police said. The car took off, police pursued and the car, travelling eastbound, crashed just west of Ashland Avenue on Grand Avenue. The car’s front end hit the pole and it appeared that the back end swung around into a brick wall next to the sidewalk. Police were behind the car when it crashed. The driver, Rigoberto Llera and two female passengers and the infant child were in the car when it wrecked. Please see the full article at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-humboldt-park-chase-infant-20140411,0,3228496.story

Wearing clothes depicting princesses and superheroes, the children made sympathy cards for Lily’s family and their friends who are still in the hospital. They also each signed signed a book for the Quintus family. Corchado linked to previous hit-and-run Robert Corchado turned himself in Thursday on charges of leaving the scene of a deadly accident. He appeared in court Friday, when a judge initially approved a bond of $100,000. However, state prosecutors deemed Corchado a flight risk, saying they have good reason to believe he would flee the country after posting bond. The state has until Monday to file a motion for pretrial detention, which would revoke Corchado’s bond. Corchado has been in trouble with the law before. In 2005, he spent 22 months in prison for extortion, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. He also served three years behind bars for trafficking cocaine in 2010. Please see the full article at: http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/4/11/deadly_kindercare_cr.html